finding delight in the small things

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12 days of crafting: paper dot notecards

From December 1-12, I’ll be blogging about some fun ideas to create a handmade Christmas. Hopefully you will be inspired to craft some Christmas gifts or decor for your own home!

Day 8: Paper Dot Notecards

As promised, here is another craft that uses the paper circle punch. I think a stack of handmade notecards tied with a pretty bow or some raffia is always a nice gift, and these are pretty simple to make. I’m not going to go into great detail because they are pretty straightforward, but I’ll let you peak in on my card making session, aka crafting with a toddler…

I had to make a couple cards, and I thought it might be fun for Luke to help (he likes playing with the paper circles). So I whipped out the first one, shown at the top. Just a simple card – you can arrange the dots so many ways, it’s hard to go wrong.

While I was making that one, Luke was playing with his little plastic animals in a bit of water in his high chair tray. I say that to explain why he is running around in only a diaper and socks in the following photos. After about 5 minutes of splashing around with his animals, he was ready to move on. So we got started on his card for his GiGi (my grandma).

I punched out some circles and put adhesive on the back, then I handed them to Luke one at a time and asked him to stick them on the card.

Sorry the photo is blurry, but this kid moves fast and it was the only shot I got. And lest you think that he sat there diligently gluing on his circles, let me assure you that this activity was punctuated with random running throughout the house – often with paper circles or card in hand.

Eventually we got 5 of the 10 circles on the card (I think 2 are still MIA in my house somewhere…) and I added the “Thank You” part where it seemed to fit best. I think it actually turned out pretty sweet.

Luke then took some time to examine and nearly destroy his handy work…

So there you have it, our paper dot notecards.

While we’re on the subject, let me talk a little about crafting and how I fit it into my life as a mom. I’ve had a lot of people express surprise at how much crafting I do these days. I’m here to debunk any thoughts that I “do it all” or that Luke sits quietly by my side while I spend hours crafting each day.

I love to make things with my hands, so of course I find time to craft – just like other parents find time to read, go for a run or play soccer, watch a movie, hang out on facebook, etc. I find slivers of time to do it – before Luke wakes up in the morning or after he’s gone to bed. Luke is full of energy and curiosity, so for most of my projects, it’s not a great idea to work on it with him around – we’d both just end up frustrated. So I just use the bits of free time after my other tasks are completed. Sometimes those times are easier to find, in other seasons it just doesn’t happen as often.

I imagine that those slivers of time will become more elusive as our family {hopefully} expands in the future. And that’s okay. I love making things – it helps me slow down and relax, it energizes me, and it’s my creative outlet that makes me feel more myself. But it’s a bonus, an extra – it’s not where my joy comes from. I love creating stuff, but it’s just an expression of joy. When I’m fully rooted in who I am in Jesus, that’s when I’m getting filled up. And that means serving him in lots of different ways – raising a little person, working, showing Ian kindness and love, and all the other things that fill my day. It’s not always fun or easy, but it’s what really matters.

So that’s how I do it – I fit it in when I can. If you’re frustrated that you don’t have time for these projects, just chill – seriously, they are just crafts! You’re probably in one of two places – first, you might be in a season where it just isn’t possible to have any free time to yourself – new baby, life transition, busy work schedule, etc. I feel for you! Everyone loves a moment for themselves. But what you are called to do is way more important, so I hope you can experience joy and fulfillment in that. (And whatever you do, don’t compare yourself to others! It’s silly to compare myself to someone who has grown kids, or for a mom of 3 to compare themselves to me. You are called to be where you are at, so embrace it!)

Or second, you choose to spend your time on other stuff – perfectly fine! If you want to use your 15 minutes of down time to read, by all means, go for it! Or maybe you choose to play soccer or watch TV or fill your schedule with activities – it’s your life, and crafting may not make the list. Lots of things I like don’t make my list, like reading for fun – I do love to read, but I can’t remember the last time I read a novel! I could use my time to read, but I choose to do other things, like make a spur of the moment stuffed felt dolphin for Luke. That’s just how I roll.